This imaginative New Vernonhomeowner (and busy mother of five) wantedrustic and rugged in her new kitchen. Her wish listincluded a stone sink. Hard to find. Her vision wasrealized thanks to an unexpected material.

WE ARE NOT FANCY PEOPLE,” says KeenehComizio. “How could we be—with five kids andall their friends around?” So when she and herhusband, Robert, set out to redo the kitchen oftheir circa-1937 house in NewVernon, they hoped to meldtheir rustic aesthetic and desireto create a one-of-a-kind spacewith rugged practicality. As sheputs it, “It needs to stand thetest of time—take a beating.”For the busy household—thechildren range in age from 11to 17—the kitchen is commandcentral. “Someone is alwayshungry,” Comizio says. “We area very active, sporty family. Wego through a lot of food.”In the end, the Comizios got everythingthey needed—lots of counter space on two sep-arate islands, an oversized cooktop, huge SubZero fridge/freezer, separate glass-door bev-erage fridge, two sinks, built-inbutcher-block cutting board,baking station and wide-openfloor plan. “This is a workhorsekitchen,” says interior designerCaitlin Rutkay, who helped pullthe space together. “It’s used allday, every day.”For years, Comizio had beenripping pages out of design andhome magazines and tuckingthem into a wish-list folder. Shewanted a copper-top island andcopper faucets and range hood